Bloggers Block

I don't know. Is it the weather? Is it re-reading Broke through Britain ?, or hearing on Radio 4's Excess Baggage programme about another odyssey book, which I'll begin today? Or is it being 44? Mid-life crisis anyone? But what it is, is a bloggers block. I hope it passes soon. Rarely does a moment pass when I'm not thinking "I'll write about this" or "that's a good story for the blog", but this last few weeks the sponge like receptive brain of Border Reiver, hasn't soaked up more than a gnats tear of inspiration. And a dull witted gnats tear of inspiration at that.

August is of course the silly season. In the sun kissed media world of TV Production, Executives have re-located to their Tuscany Villas to recharge the batteries. August is therefore the no-mans land of work in TV land. Not this year though for the management team, which I laughingly seem to be a part of, we seem to be busier than ever. Graphs-Charts-Forward planning is the name of the game, providing more Excel spreadsheets than is good for anyone to read. Frantic, rush and bustle. I see a cul-de-sac coming up where all this information will be log jammed against the inertia of constant reorganisation. But that's not my problem. What is my problem is all of this has had the effect of stifling the creative juices and stopping me going wildlife watching.

Though yesterday in a moment of deviation, a Vapourer moth rested on the outside of the office window. I stood looking at it for a few minutes, wondering what it was thinking as it rested on a plate glass window. Maybe it was, what are all those humans doing staring into a cube and looking so happy !! I doubt it. Then it was off to fly free through the air, while I returned to the project of the day, Contract Headcount Projection. Great!!

So what's the best way of sorting out order from the chaos? Of course. A Brainstorm session involving pink and yellow post-its. In a wine fuelled evening, this was produced on my conservatory window. It must have been me who did this, as it was still there in the morning. Either that or some Pixies and Faeries have conspired with the hedgehogs, to raid my stationary drawer. What did this frenzy of sticking things to the window produce? A colourful window? A hangover? Indeed, but precious little else. So much for blue sky management brainstorming techniques I've learnt over the years, next time it's a tried and tested method. A long walk (see book above) over a lonely hill, maybe take in a sheep or two, at least then I could photo a daffodil or a sheep for the blog. As I wrote this, a Chaffinch has begun to "Pink Pink" outside the bedroom window. One is never down, when with wildlife. I feel better already.

And then when hunting for a felt pen (life doesn't get more interesting than this) I re-found this photo. Can this really be 18 years ago? The boy Reiver is second from the right, sun glinting off his head. Would you want to visit Cragside if you'd been met by this motley crew in 1990? It looks more like Crimewatch photo-fit with the announcer saying "have you seen this gang, terrorising the public in Northumberland".

John the head warden retired not long after, Dave is still there wardening and felling trees, Damian is in Germany being a graphic designer or something and Julie still lives in Northumberland and as a write is imminent with child. Great days though. This was taken at the end of a frantic Bank Holiday Monday. Soon after we had a round of ice creams. Just weeks later I was about to head off to Newcastle University, a degree if you please Sir in Countryside Management. I have that degree. The future was a wide horizon, and the Natural History Unit, living in Somerset, writing a blog and being 44 weren't even a thought in my mind.

I will reframe this photo and hang it on the wall - a focus to who I am, not what I am, when tackling yet another tedious Excel Spreadsheet. I told you it was the silly season, and it seems the writers block has been unblocked..........